Groups are where it's at when seeking work

By Deb Norton, Star-News Correspondent

Wednesday

Dec 24, 2008 at 4:40 PM

In case you've just joined us, I became unemployed July 1 at age 52. Last week, given the dearth of job offerings during the holiday season, I briefly went over the career path that led me to this place. It all seems so long ago. Talk me up at debnorton56@gmail.com. This is my diary: Week 23.I have seen the way, and it is groups.Groups work - study groups, self-help groups, small business groups. And these days we have groups for the unemployed.I mention this because I was given the opportunity to sit in recently on the daily morning meeting of the Phoenix Employment Ministry in downtown Wilmington. The dozen or so participants who have been taken under the organization's wing are not just unemployed, but are homeless or nearly homeless as well.The group, which because of space limitations can be hard to get into, spends the day making phone calls and using the ministry's computers to research jobs, send resumes and fill out applications.But the day starts with a group meeting, led by Don Skinner, Phoenix executive director. This is when the members can voice frustrations, ask questions and get advice about problems in their daily lives. And this is where, most notably, they offer support to each other.Pastor Skinner goes around the circle, asking each in turn about their weekend, how the kids are, do they need a ride to their next job interview.One participant was at a loss as to what to do about her cable/high speed Internet provider, which was threatening - in error - to shut off her service just as she was preparing to take exams for her online course work. She was allowed to take time off from her work finding a job to go to the cable office and settle the problem.The participants are required to dress as though they were going to a job interview every day. In fact, some do get same-day interview appointments, so they're ready.I, on the other hand, was in a sweatshirt and jeans, a fact not lost on Pastor Skinner."It's important to get up every morning and dress for work," he said, humbling me. "You're dressing to market yourself. And it helps keep you in the right frame of mind."My frame of mind aside, Pastor Skinner had a number of other helpful hints - both for me and the participants:SPEAK proper English, or at least its American equivalent.THE LEAST effective ways to hunt for a job are using the Internet, local newspaper ads, staffing agencies and mailing out resumes.THE MOST effective ways are asking for leads from family and friends, knocking on the door of a business that interests you and using the Yellow Pages.The Yellow Pages are for picking out businesses to call. Making telephone calls and speaking to the person who actually does the hiring is the most effective job hunting method, according to Skinner. He suggests making at least 15 calls a day. But 40 is better.The day I was at Phoenix, two of the group had job interviews lined up. Skinner wished them luck, not only for their employment prospects, but also to free up space in the group for others in need."I think looking for work is the hardest job there is," Skinner said. "There's a lot of discouragement and disappointment, particularly if you're doing it alone. You're always in the spotlight, always marketing yourself and often with no results. It's depressing."Amen.Addendum: Change is coming to the Star-News, so this is my last column, at least for the foreseeable future. Never fear, though, the nice people at the newspaper have offered me other opportunities to do some freelancing for them.So I leave you with a saying posted in Pastor Skinner's office: "Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts."

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